Crossing safety hazard



Feb. 2, 1932-- c. s. nBBE-ms I CROSSING SAFETY HAZARD Filed NOV. '7, 1950 Patented Feb.` 2, 1932 'asians CLYDE S. TIBBETTS, F INDIANAPOLIS, IDIANA CROSSING SAFETY HAZARD Application filed November '7, 1936. Serial No. 494,079.

This invention relates to the art of controlling vehicular traflic at intersections of traf" lic lanes. lt is the primary object of the invention to provide physical means whereby vehicles will be required to approach danger zones at relatively low speeds so as to have the vehicles under control whereby they may be stopped quickly tofavoid collision with other vehicles that may cross the line of travel.

Other important objects reside in the provision of means that will require little or no costs of upkeep; that may be installed at coinparatively low costs; and that may be applied to roadways and crossings already constructed. f

T lic-se and other objects will become ap parent in the following description of the invention, with reference being made to the ac companying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan View 'of the intersection of tworoadways with my invenciel t distance back of the intersection to pertion applied thereto;

Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3, a front elevation of an indicating signal.

Referring to the drawings, in which like characters of reference indicatev like parts in the several views, the roadway 1() is here shown as crossing the roadway 11 at right angles. On each sideA of the roadway 11 a suitable distancetherefrom, for example 2O feet in one particular case back from the edge of the roadway 11, l form directly in the roadway the platforms 12, 13 and 14, 15. The platform 13 is positioned in the direct line of travel of vehicles on the right hand Y side of the road and has a width at the end A of approximately l12 inches, which will permit the wheels of vehicles to straddle the platform and the height of the platform is in the neighborhood of 5 inches so as to provide clearance thereover for the axles of the vehicles. The platform is preferably tapered from the end A to theopposite end, for enample where the platform is 8 feet long, to a width of 36 inches.

This narrow end is preferably inclined from the level of the roadway to the upper surface of the platform for a linear distance of about 18 inches. The end A is preferably notched out to have an incline 16 at an angle of approximately l5 degrees. The platforms p 12, 141 and 15 are identical in shape and size '55; with the platform 13, the vplatform 12 being mounted on` the other side of the roadway 10 adjacent the platform 13 whereby oncoming vehicles will` approach the platform 12 from its narrower endgl The platforms 1,4' and 15 are each positionedr inthe line of, travel on each side of ,the'roadwayy 10 to have Y their narrow ends directed toward the road-d f way 11. In the same'manner similar platforms 17, 18 and 19, 2O are positioned ree@ spectively on bothsides of the roadwayL 10 in the roadway 11 to have their narrow lends directed toward the roadway 10. y I

A vehicle travelingat high speed'on either roadway appreaching the intersection willf' be warned of the platforms"aheadv bymeansl y ofv ay signaler signboard 21 located atsufli# j mit the vehicle to be brought down toY a speed such 'that the vehicle may be guidedx75 safely across,theplatforms.Yy To prevent vel. `j hicles from `passingbetween n the platforms suchfas between platforms 12 and 13, a'block I 22 is fixed inthe roadway on a line midway betweenthe two'platforms andback thereofl 8o a distance. This block is preferably ofa' height not to exceed 18 inches so that it will j not'interf'ere with overhanging truck bodies' andis also preferably provided withare-A flector 23 so as to render the block visible at S5 I night by reeetion from the headlights of the, oncoming vehicle.

Should a vehicle be of a type having less than theA standard tread, the wheels on one side of the vehicle may pass up the incline 16 and the other wheels remain on the roadway so that the vehicle may pass on over the platform. Since the dimension of the platforms attheir greatest width approachesthe clearance between the wheels of a standard vehicle, it will require a slow approach thereto to insure that the'wheels will straddle the platform so that by the time the vehicle arrives at the intersection, it has a-speed that will permitits being stopped quickly to prevent collision with vehicles approaching from either the left or the right on the roadway. These platforms forming;` the hazards over which the vehicles must travel, are preferably made of concrete so as to be durable and to be of such weight to remain in place.

While I have here shown and described my invention inthe one form as now best known to me, it is obvious that structural variations may be made from that form without departing from the spirit of the` invention, and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form, nor anymorethan may be required by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A roadway vehicular traffic regulating,- hazardl comprising a platform having` a width approaching the tread of 'vehicles but permitting lateral clearance of the wheels when the platform is straddled by Vehicles, and having an appreciable height limited to provide clearance between it and the underside of the vehicles, Asaid platform being` tapered from said width to an opposite end, said opposite end being` sloped.

2.' Avroadway vehicular traflic regulating hazard comprisingl a platform having, a width approaching` the tread of vehicles but permitting lateral clearance of the wheels when the platform is straddled by vehicles, and havingan appreciable height limited to provide clearance between it and the underside of the vehicles, said width being at oneend of theplatform.y said end being' substantially .perpendicular and havingia central inclined runway through the end up onto the top of the platform.

3. A vroadway vehicular traffic regulatinghazard comprising a platform *havingV a- -width approaching the tread of vehicles but permitting` lateral clearance of the wheels when the platformis Straddled by vehicles, and lhavingan appreciable height limited to provide clearance between it and the underside of the vehicles, said width being at one end of the platform, said end being substantiallyperpendicular and having a central inclined runway through the end up onto the top of the platform, said platform being tapered to an opposite inclined end having less width than the rst end.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature;

CLYDE S. TIBBETTS. 

